Review of Temptation by Denise Greenwood

Review of Temptation by Denise Greenwood
 
About Temptation -                                                                         

 
“Because none of you come to my church, I thought I’d bring it to you!”

So begins a naive young Reverend driven to the brink of insanity as he stands on a stage before the drunken, baying audience of Cherries café bar on a Saturday night. He is about to exorcise his personal demons. His nemesis, a teenage boy, hides in the audience eager to use everything he sees and hears for the one passion in his life.

Temptation is a touching story of loss, discovery and misunderstandings. Darkly humorous events change the lives of all the colourful characters at Cherries café bar and the mud-slinging congregation of St Jude’s.

Jarvis Stone opens his café bar doors to the world of entertainment. Charlotta is a quiet young woman who harbours secrets. Tommy longs for change and is watched jealously by Christian, a bitter and resentful prankster. Jeannie is a lonely single mum until she meets Boris, an ex-army chef who loves to sing. There are very real demons – the ones within.

Temptation may come in many forms but it is up to the Tempted to decide whether it is a risk worth taking.
 

This book is simply a great read, it revolves around several characters and a bar named Cherries and the church which is St Jude'. The story has many characters that make the story line what it is, to start with Jarvis Stone owner of Cherries cafe bar for nearly five years after he bought it and transformed it into a real life dream of his. Charlotta has worked in the bar for three years, has always been quiet and Jarvis has never had a problem with her. Though the quiet ones are the ones who have the most secrets that will not always stay hidden for long.
 
Tommy just what to make some changes in his life to fit with his long desire to change his ways, Tommy also works at Cherries. Christian is the less tame of the characters, being the prankster he should be upbeat but he is driven by his bitter behaviour.
 
There is also Boris who is the chef at Cherries, coming from a army background he is very closed off but one thing he likes to do is sing. Which draws out Jeannie who like him but she is also a mother who in herself is lonely with the life she leads. Cory Farris is in the book quite a bit, after he lost his father he changed the way he approached things and his whole behaviour in life. though the main character is Reverend Jacob Alecks who has decided to take extra measures to spread the word of the church and using the audience at Cherries to do so. Jacob is not a fan of his ageing and is fed up of the church group's
gossipping nature.
 
There are many different levels to this story with the dark humour, drama and unique nature of the story line and the characters that are featured in the book.
 
There are also other minor characters like Michael who appear several times in the book and also in the first chapter of the book, Josie who is Corey's crazy auntie and his father's sister, Corey's father is also mentioned throughout the book. The reverends wife is also mentioned in the book along many other interesting characters that will stay with you well after you finish the last page.
 
Each of these characters have something or someone holding them back for their lives, this could be the past coming back to haunt them or them wanting to move forward and change but they don't know how to. Each wondering if a risk worth taking is worth it or not.
 
If I had to sum up the book in three words, they would be Unique, Risky and Brilliant. The story is set out in perfectly starting with a big event and ending with different events happening and giving the answer to whether their is a risk worth taking in life or not.
 
Temptation is out now on Amazon.
 
It is published by Aventura eBooks Limited.
 
I would give this book a 5/5, great characters and story line. So take a risk and read it.
 
Thank you to Denise Greenwood for giving me a copy to read.
 
                                                       

Another day, another book,
 
 
Sophie Kate <3